The Fable of the Wind and the Sun

I am reading Dale Carnegie's classic self-help, business, leadership book right now - "How to Win Friends and Influence People" (actually, I am reading the version for the "digital age").  So far, the book has been worth the investment in time to read.  A lot of the points that Carnegie makes can be boiled down to a simplified version of the famous Golden Rule ("Treat others as you would like to be treated," or alternatively, "Don't treat others in ways that you would not want to be treated.").  There is certainly more than just that, but it strikes me as interesting that there is a need for a book about how we should treat one another.  Robert Fulghum wrote a poem, entitled "All I really need to know I learned in Kindergarten" - it really is that simple.  But I do think we would all do well to read and heed these words again.

Carnegie tells a story in the book that perked my curiosity just enough that I looked it up online.  It turns out that the story Carnegie used in his book is from a long time ago (he did mention that).  I mean a really long time ago - like ancient Greece.  One of Aesop's Fables is called simply, The Fable of the Wind and the Sun.  The story goes something like this. 

The Wind and the Sun were having an argument one day about who was stronger.  By chance, a weary traveler happened to be walking by at just that moment, and the Wind and the Sun decided to have a contest - a test of strength if you will.  The Sun stated the challenge - "Whoever can cause that traveler to lose his cloak is the winner."  The Wind went first.  He blew as hard as he could, but the harder he blew, the more the traveler pulled his cloak tight around his body.  Finally, after trying for several minutes, the Wind gave up and told the Sun it was her turn.  The Sun was hiding behind the clouds the whole time.  As soon as the Wind told her that it was her turn, she emerged from the clouds and shone brightly on the path that the traveler was walking along.  After a few minutes, the traveler wiped the sweat off his brow and took off his cloak.  The Sun proudly announced, "See, I win."

Every one of Aesop's Fables has a moral.  The moral of this story is that you can get a lot farther with kindness than you can with strength or power.  As another old saying goes, "You can catch more flies with sugar than you can with vinegar."  Kindness is a great and powerful tool for every leader to have in his or her armamentarium.  Imagine how much better the world would be if everyone followed this simple rule.  It all comes down to how we treat everyone else in our lives.  Kindness is contagious.  Kindness works.  Be kind to one another.